“I think everyone has some kind of connection to Hawaii…it’s just something to take people back to the islands,” said Mitchell Chang, founder and producer of the 12th annual show.

Tickets are on sale for the Jan. 20 festival at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center for a day that will include hula dancers, vendors and nine main acts playing the acoustic guitars that define the laid-back airy music.

“Slack key is the quintessential sound of Hawaii. People might not know what it is by name but I guarantee when they hear it they’ll know that’s Hawaii,” said Chang, a Hawaiian native who now lives in Gardena.

“The idea here is to reflect the atmosphere of Hawaii,” he added.

The soundtrack will be provided by some accomplished names in slack music, including George Kuo, who is considered one of the last of the generation of “elders” who plays in the more traditional nahenahe (which means sweet and soothing) style.

Another veteran musician appearing is Grammy-nominated Sonny Lim, a member of the Lim musical family who have been instrumental in carrying Hawaiian music forward.

Also be on the lookout for Ikaika Marzo, another well-known slack musician.

“He’s got that very identifiable style…he’s a monster and also a great singer,” Chang said of Marzo.

And people may recognize the music of performer Jeff Peterson, whose music appeared in the 2011 George Clooney film “The Descendants.”